What are prediction skills?
Prediction skills help children think about what might happen next in a story or text. They use clues from the pictures, words, or what they already know to make good guesses. These skills help children to:
- Think carefully about the story or text
- Use what they already know to understand new ideas
- Understand what they read
- Talk about and explain their ideas
How You Can Help Your Child at Home
Stop and think
For younger children, while reading a picture book together, stop before turning the page. Ask your child: “What do you think will happen next?” or “What do you think this character might do now?” Encourage them to explain their ideas using clues from the pictures or the story so far.
For older children, before reading a new chapter in a book, read the title together and look at any pictures. Ask: “What do you think this chapter might be about?” and “What clues are you using to make that guess?” After reading, go back and talk about the prediction: “Were we right? What surprised us?”
Prediction Reading Questions:
- Who is on the front cover? What is in the background? Does this give us clues about what might happen in the book?
- Using what you know about the character, what do you think they will do next? Why?
- What might happen if……?
- If you were this character, what would you do?
- Do you think that the author has a plan for ________________ ?
Think about the author’s other stories. Is this story similar to one you have already read? How did the story end? How might this story end?
Prediction Activities
Explain your thinking
Try to show your child how you make a prediction by talking through your own thought process out loud. Explain what you already know about the story and the characters to help you to make predictions about what may come next. For example:
“I think the boy might get lost in the forest. He didn’t listen when his mum told him to stay close, and now he’s walking off on his own. In stories like this, something usually goes wrong when a character doesn’t follow advice. Let’s see if I’m right!”
Three Questions
Ask your child to think of three questions about the book that they would like an answer to. Discuss together how you could use what they have already read to help them find out.
Stop and Think
For younger children, while reading a picture book together, stop before turning the page.
Ask your child: “What do you think will happen next?” or “What do you think this character might do now?”
Encourage them to explain their ideas using clues from the pictures or the story so far.
For older children, before reading a new chapter in a book, read the title together and look at any pictures.
Ask: “What do you think this chapter might be about?” and “What clues are you using to make that guess?”
After reading, go back and talk about the prediction: “Were we right? What surprised us?”